Knockdown shelving



Feb. 5, 1935. c. G. MAYROSE 1,990,046

mocxnown snmme Filed Sept.'l5, 1933 v INVENTOR A TTORNE Y8.

Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE KNOOKDOWN SHELVING Carl G. Mayrose, Terre Haute, Ind.

Application September 15,1933, Serial No. 689,645

4 Claims.

- I My invention comprises a novel type of joint having a wide range of utility in effecting a junction or connection between preformed individual units or sections of various sorts. 1

I have found the subject matter of the invention particularly adapted to use in connectionwith knockdown shelving comprising a sectional structure adapted to be manufactured from a minimum of material, at low cost, and capable of being assembled easily and rapidly and of constituting when assembled a rigid, durable and attractive shelving installation. 1

By way of exemplification and not limitation the invention will be explained and described in terms of its application to knockdown shelving, but it is to be understood that the essence of the invention is equally capable of application to various other types of structure. 1

In the embodiment chosen for exemplification an object of the invention is to secure shelfunits to upright supporting members by a simple, inexpensive and efficient fastening means for preventing accidental or otherwise undesired displacement or derangement of the shelf units, and a further object is the provision of fastening means on the shelf units for trimmingand concealing the junction of the units and-the supporting members.

Another object of the invention is its capacity to be practiced by forming a minimum variety of standard parts, consisting essentially of only two types of parts, the upright and the shelf unit, from which an installation of any size may be set up.

A further object and feature of the embodiment chosen for exemplification is the useof a virtually skeleton type of upright employing no more material than is essential to discharge the supporting function of the uprights, and the proportioning of the dimensions of the uprights to the position and dimensions of the facing means carried by the shelf units to trim the units, bringing the front edge of the units and that of the uprights into flush relation, whereby the structure is made substantial and attractive in a high degree.

An ancillary object of theinvention is the provision of a structure which by slight modification is capable of being designed as a display table or counter, and which may be otherwise varied to form certain other types of store fixtures, all as will be explained in detail hereinafter.

Various other subsidiary features and advan-,- tages of the several contemplated embodiments of the invention will be obvious from the following detailed explanation and description.

The invention is shown in a basic and suggested form of embodiment in the accompanyingdrawing which is part of this application for Letters Patent and in which I Figure 1 is a perspective view of an installation embodying the principles of the invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectionthrough one or. the transverse members of an upright showing portions of two'shelf units joined therwith;

Fig. 315 a horizontal section taken through one of the uprights showing in top plan view one of the shelf units resting on the joint of the transverse member; and i :Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of a shelf unit.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention comprises essential1yonlytwo types of element, an upright designated generally A and a shelf unit designated B. .Each upright is a' substan- ,tiallyladderdike structure formedof a-pair of vertical members, 1, 1, and a plurality of vertically spaced transverse members 2, 2. The shelf .units B" are essentially plane surfaced boards or plates having no structural details or features oi -essential importance except the joint forming end flanges which will now, be described.

For securing the shelf units B to the transverse members 2 of uprights A, an upstandingflanged edge 3 is formed on the side edge of each cross member. Since the uprights A, A, are necessarily employed in vertically spaced pairs, each member of the pair supporting one end of each member of a vertical tier of shelf units B, B, it is obvious that what may be regarded as the central uprights A'include transverse members 2 which have flanges 3 formed on each opposite side edge, while the end uprights of an installation may be made with transverse members 2 havingflanges 3 only on their inner side edges. In the alternative, if a finished; closed end panel is desired, the end uprights may be made'like the central uprights, and vertical panels provided, like the vertical panel shown secured to and closing the left end upright in Fig. 1, provided with cooperating complemental flanges for engaging the side edge flanges of the transverse members of the end uprights. Obviously however, if a closed end panel is not to be used, the outer side edges of the transverse members of the end uprights may be formed without the flanges 3 so that a flush, open end surface for the upright is provided.

Each shelf unit has formed at each opposite end edgea depending flange 4, which is complejmental to the flange 3 of the cooperating transverse member 2. Specifically, I prefer to provide the two cooperating flanges in the form of an outer extended portion constituting the flange proper and an adjacent inner groove. Each flange thus extends into the groove adjacent the cooperating flange, obviously locking the shelf unit and the transverse member against relative movement except vertical displacement of the shelf unit from the transverse member.

In order, in a set-up structure, to prevent this displacement, I employ fastening means, preferably in the form of a cleat 5, screwed down as at 6 to the upper surface B of the transverse member and having its end edges extending over the cooperating shelf unit or units. These cleats 5 may be provided in the relatively narrow form shown in the drawing, or they may be continuous strips running the full length of the space between the vertical members 1, 1, of each upright A, as may be desired.

The vertical and transverse members of each upright may be joined in any convenient way. I prefer however to effect the connection by means of a tenon '7 formed on each end of each transverse member, which is received into a mortise 8 worked into the upright 1 according to standard and well understood practice. The mortise and tenon are shown circular in cross section, this being obviously the easiest form in which to make these parts. They may, however, at slight additional expense, be made square or otherwise polygonal in section, and in this form they have the advantage of positioning and holding, by their shape, the vertical and transverse members of each upright in true square or right angular relation. I

In order to provide ample strength in the cross members 2 for supporting considerable weight which the shelf units may be required to carry, I prefer to make each transverse member of considerable thickness. The shelf units B need not be made as thick as the transverse members. The resulting disparity in the thicknessof these two joined elements, well shown in Fig. 2, may be concealed by terminating the flange 3 and the adjacent groove of each transverse member 2 short of the outer vertical surface of each vertical member 1, by making the depth, or front to rear dimension, of each shelf unit B equal to the length of the flange 3, and by facing each shelf with a depending trimming flange 9 equal in thickness to the projection of the front vertical wall of the member 1 beyond the end of flange 3, and equal in height to the thickness of the transverse member 2. It will be obvious that these proportions result in trimming the assembled structureso that the front surfaces of the shelf units and of the uprights are all flush.

It is believed that the mode of construction and assembly will be sufficiently evident. The uprights A and shelf units B are preformed at the factory, the vertical and transverse members of the uprights being assembled by means of the glued mortise connections or otherwise. The two essential parts are shipped in knock-down condition, and are assembled on the job by merely spacing the uprights, associating the flanges 4 and 3 of the shelf units and transverse members respectively, and fastening down the cleats 5 to provide the completed set-up structure shown in Fig. 1.

If an open end of the installation is desired, the outer flanges 3 of the end uprights may be trimmed off, or if a closed end is desired the end panel shown at the left of Fig. 1 may be secured to the end upright.

The foregoing constitutes a description of what is regarded as a preferred form of embodiment of the invention. It is obvious that the invention may be modified in various manners without departing from its essential principles. Thus, the whole structure may be provided in a relatively low model, with the upper ends of the vertical members 1, shown broken off in Fig. 1 intermediate the upper shelf there shown and a still higher shelf which may be. assumed in an upward extension of the structure, trimmed'oif flush with the upper shelf, so that the upper shelf constitutes a table top or counter. In such event, the front wall of the installation may be closed by panels secured in any convenient manner.

The invention is capable of further modification from the basic type of structure shown in this application by way of exemplification and not limitation. It is to be understood that all such modifications, to the extent that they embody the principles of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims, are to be deemed within the scope and purview thereof.

I claim:

1. Knockdown shelving comprising a plurality e of spaced uprights each having a pair of vertical members and a transverse member fixed thereto and provided with an upstanding edge flange, a shelf unit having a complemental depending edge flange engaged with the flange of the transverse member, and a cleat fastened to the upper surface of the transverse member at a side of the flange and extending over the cooperating flange of the shelf unit securing the unit against upward displacement fromthe member.

2. Knockdown shelving comprising a plurality of spaced uprights each having a transverse member fixed against upward displacement and provided with an un tandnigflange at its inner edge, a shelf unit having a complemental depending flange at its end edges, each flange of the unit being engaged with a flange of the member, and 'means fastened to each member outwardly of its flange and extending over the cooperating flange of the shelf unit securing the unit against upward displacement from the member.

3. Knockdown shelving comprising a plurality of spaced uprights each having a pair of vertical members and a transverse member fixed thereto and provided with an upstanding flange at its opposite side edges, a plurality of shelf units each having a complemental depending flange at each end edge, each shelf unit flange being engaged with a transverse member flange, and means fastened to each transverse member between the flanges thereof and extending over the cooperating flanges of the shelf units supported thereby securing the unitsagainst upward displacement from the member.

4. A knockdown wooden shelving comprising a plurality of spaced uprights each comprising a pair of vertical members and a plurality of transverse members having end tenons received in mortises formed in the vertical members, upstanding flanges formed on the side edges of the transverse members, shelf units having depending flanges at their end edges interfitted with the upstanding flanges of the adjacent transverse members, and a cleat fastened to each transverse member between its flanges and extending over the cooperating flanges of the shelf units supported thereby securing the units against upward displacement from the member.

CARL G. MAYROSE. 

